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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)

Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!
But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pi Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!
But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!
But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pi Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!
But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

30 review for
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)

5 out of 5

Patrick–Jan 13, 2014

Tonight I just finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory with my son. This is the first chapter book I've read all the way through with him. And it was a ton of fun.
First off, I'll admit that I love the movie. I grew up with it. (I'm talking about the Gene Wilder version, of course.)I'll even admit to liking the movie better than the book. Which is something that doesn't happen very often with me.
That said, the book is really, really good. It held my four-year old's attention. It's si Tonight I just finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory with my son. This is the first chapter book I've read all the way through with him. And it was a ton of fun.
First off, I'll admit that I love the movie. I grew up with it. (I'm talking about the Gene Wilder version, of course.)I'll even admit to liking the movie better than the book. Which is something that doesn't happen very often with me.
That said, the book is really, really good. It held my four-year old's attention. It's silly, and it's fun.
And it's DARK.
For those of you who haven't read the book, let me underline this fact for you. Dahl takes pains to really detail the fact that Charlie and his family aren't just hungry and poor. They're destitute. Charlie sleeps on a mattress on the floor. In the winter they are cold, and they're starving to death.
And if you think I'm exaggerating on that last point, I'm not. One of the chapters is titled: The Family Begins to Starve.
But you know what? I like this book better because of that. It's not sanitized pablum written by committee to be inoffensive. It's the story of a little boy who is in a fucking awful situation, but he is still good and kind and polite and then something really nice happens to him.
That's a trope I can get behind.
Its it a good book to read with your kids? Absolutely.
That said, allow me to tangent off and share my thoughts as a total bastard:
If Willie Wonka actually hired workers and paid them a living wage, maybe Charlie Bucket wouldn't be starving to death in the first place.
Follow me here. Wonka is effectively running a company where everyone is paid in scrip. The Oompa Loompas are paid, quite literally, in beans. Beans that I'm guessing he has the Oompa Loompas themselves growing in some huge underground cavern.
Let's not even get into the ethical tarpit of the fact that Wonka uproots an entire indigenous culture and enslaves them. Let's just look at this from a raw numbers point of view. Pure economics.
The Oompa Loompas work in the factory. They are not paid. They never leave the factory. That means they don't pay rent. They don't buy groceries. They don't go to the movies, or take taxis ,or buy clothes.
But *everyone* buys Wonka's chocolate.
That means that money goes into the factory, but it doesn't come back out into the town.
As a result, the local economy is crap. And it's because of this that Charlie's dad can't get a decent job. What's more, it's because of this that his dad *loses* his shitty job, and his family is starving to death.
Willie Wonka isn't a childlike magic maker. He's a billionaire corporate fuckwit. He's the candy equivalent of Monsanto. There's no government oversight there. Osha would never have approved that bullshit boiled sweet boat and chocolate river. No. Dude is untouchable.
And don't tell me he isn't. That shit that goes on with the other kids? Nobody even *thinks* of suing him. None of the parents even *hint* at it. He probably owns half the judges in the state, and a handful of senators, too.
He's a fucking supervillian. And I would paid serious money to see a story where Batman kicks his ass.
*End Rant*
In closing, let me share something that Oot said while I was reading him this book:
"Dad, Willie Wonka is just a regular human, but he *is* a little bit of a wizard like you."

4 out of 5

Grace Tjan–Jul 11, 2010

Jess, my 7 year old little girl, gives it 5 stars.
Comments while reading:
“How come someone is called ‘Gloop’? And ‘Salt’? Isn’t that the thing that we use for cooking?”
“What is ‘spoiled’? Oh, okay, I’m NOT spoiled.”
“Huh, Grandpa Joe is 96 years old?! How come that he’s even older than my grandpa?”
“How come Charlie’s dad can’t work at the toothpaste factory anymore? What does ‘bankrupt’ mean?”
“Will Charlie ever get the golden ticket?”
“Yes! Charlie found it!”
“Mr. Wonka looks like a clown!”
“How com Jess, my 7 year old little girl, gives it 5 stars.
Comments while reading:
“How come someone is called ‘Gloop’? And ‘Salt’? Isn’t that the thing that we use for cooking?”
“What is ‘spoiled’? Oh, okay, I’m NOT spoiled.”
“Huh, Grandpa Joe is 96 years old?! How come that he’s even older than my grandpa?”
“How come Charlie’s dad can’t work at the toothpaste factory anymore? What does ‘bankrupt’ mean?”
“Will Charlie ever get the golden ticket?”
“Yes! Charlie found it!”
“Mr. Wonka looks like a clown!”
“How come Oompa-Loompas only eat mashed up caterpillars? EEW!”
“Augustus Gloop got sucked up into the pipe because he was GREEDY.”
“Will Violet ever be all right again or will she always be a blueberry?”
“I want these:
EATABLE MARSHMALLOW PILLOWS
So I can sleep on it and eat it little by little.
LICKABLE WALLPAPER
It would be great if I can have it in my room, so every time I want an orange or banana, I can just lick it.
LUMINOUS LOLLIES FOR EATING IN BED AT NIGHT
So that I don’t have to use my night light anymore. But what happens when it’s finished?
INVISIBLE CHOCOLATE BARS FOR EATING IN CLASS
So that I can eat it in class! But I don’t think Miss Ayu will like it if I do that.”
“These are just silly! Mr. Wonka likes to invent strange things!
HOT ICE CUBES THAT MAKES HOT DRINKS HOTTER
Who wants to have their hot drinks even hotter?
FIZZY LEMONADE SWIMMING POOL
Won’t your body be tingling and itchy all over if you swim in there? It’s fizzy like Coca Cola, right?”
“But the funniest thing is that SQUARE CANDY THAT LOOKS ROUND! I’m going to tell dad about it and then all my friends at school!”
“I like it when Mr. Wonka says to Mrs. Salt, “My dear old fish, go boil your head!” Mr. Wonka used to be more polite and now he is getting rude.”
“Mike Teavee got very small because he is sent through the TV. No, I don’t watch too much TV like him.”
“This song about watching too much TV is too LONG. Just skip it.”
“I don’t think anything bad will happen to Charlie, because he’s good. Also, it is written in the front of the book that he is THE HERO.”
“What? Charlie got the whole factory? That’s because he’s GOOD.”
“I want a chocolate candy and I want more books by Roald Dahl!”

4 out of 5

Lyn–Nov 17, 2014

Gene Wilder June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016 - Goodbye Gene, you'll always be Willy Wonka to me.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl first published in 1964 was an immediate children’s classic and has inspired two film versions.
I was surprised to see that neither of the films came close to Dahl’s text. Dahl’s Willy Wonka is a dark creature who killed children, crushed their bones and baked them into the candy bars.
Just kidding.
This is of course a delightful children’s / young adult fan Gene Wilder June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016 - Goodbye Gene, you'll always be Willy Wonka to me.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl first published in 1964 was an immediate children’s classic and has inspired two film versions.
I was surprised to see that neither of the films came close to Dahl’s text. Dahl’s Willy Wonka is a dark creature who killed children, crushed their bones and baked them into the candy bars.
Just kidding.
This is of course a delightful children’s / young adult fantasy featuring the inimitable Willy Wonka. The 1971 musical film directed by Mel Stuart and featuring Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson has long been a family favorite and I grew up loving the songs and Wilder’s performance. (Interestingly, according to IMDB – so you know its true – Peter Ostrum, the child actor who portrayed Charlie Bucket, only ever appeared in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, it was his only film credit. He is now a veterinarian).
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation starring Johnny Depp and Christopher Lee was also very entertaining and I have enjoyed watching it as well.
So it was no surprise that I finally got around to reading Dahl’s original novel. I was curious to see which film version came closest to Dahl’s vision, and I can surprisingly report that though they both come close to the original text, both rely heavily on artistic license and the kind of freedoms a director will often take when translating a literary work into film.
Brilliant, quirky, and original this is a short work that a fan of the films, or of children’s fantasy literature should take the time to thoroughly enjoy.

4 out of 5

Jan-Maat–Nov 08, 2012

Slightly odd story of virtuous poverty rewarded by the evil capitalist who caused the poverty by firing all his workers in favour of employing non-human immigrants.
Unemployment from the chocolate factory, apparently the only consumer of labour in the otherwise stagnant economy of Charlie's home town, (proving I suppose that an excess of chocolate is really bad for you both economically and physically) requires that all of his grandparents have to live and sleep in one bed while the family slowly Slightly odd story of virtuous poverty rewarded by the evil capitalist who caused the poverty by firing all his workers in favour of employing non-human immigrants.
Unemployment from the chocolate factory, apparently the only consumer of labour in the otherwise stagnant economy of Charlie's home town, (proving I suppose that an excess of chocolate is really bad for you both economically and physically) requires that all of his grandparents have to live and sleep in one bed while the family slowly starves. Evidently the social contract is relentlessly one-sided in Charlie's country.
Willy Wonka, the owner of the chocolate factory, a man who makes Charles Montgomery Burns look reasonable, holds a competition to allow a small number of children into his factory to select one of them to be his successor.
Charlie wins one of the tickets. The hard school of his poverty having made him virtuous, he manages to survive all the other children whose gross moral turpitudes cause them to be eliminated.
Having won the right to become Willy Wonka's successor he wins himself a sequel adventure, but this involves travelling to the moon in an elevator rather than changing the employment practises of the factory and the introduction of a living wage. Proving, I suppose, there is a limit to the amount of fantasy you can fed a child before it becomes completely unbelievable.

4 out of 5

Bookdragon Sean –Jul 27, 2016

I was planning on writing an extremely argumentative review explaining how sadistically vile Willie Wonka is, and how his god-like complex ruined the lives of four flawed children. But that seems insensitive at the moment.
Instead I shall simply say that Gene Wilder dominated his performance as Willie Wonka. He carried all the outward charm, the charisma and the playfulness, but still managed to portray the suggestions of darkness that permeate this character’s heart. Wonka is far from a good ma I was planning on writing an extremely argumentative review explaining how sadistically vile Willie Wonka is, and how his god-like complex ruined the lives of four flawed children. But that seems insensitive at the moment.
Instead I shall simply say that Gene Wilder dominated his performance as Willie Wonka. He carried all the outward charm, the charisma and the playfulness, but still managed to portray the suggestions of darkness that permeate this character’s heart. Wonka is far from a good man, though this book remains excellent and an extended allegory for many things.
Full review to come.

5 out of 5

Miranda Reads–Feb 24, 2018

Everything in this room is edible. Even I'm edible. But, that would be called canibalism. It is looked down upon in most societies. Everyone knows this story. Little Charlie Bucket lives with his parents and both sets of grandparents. They all depend on his father for money and he just lost his job. They're running out of food, fuel and money when (just in time) Charlie find a golden ticket.
This golden ticket allows him and two guardians into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory for a tour. Charl Everything in this room is edible. Even I'm edible. But, that would be called canibalism. It is looked down upon in most societies. Everyone knows this story. Little Charlie Bucket lives with his parents and both sets of grandparents. They all depend on his father for money and he just lost his job. They're running out of food, fuel and money when (just in time) Charlie find a golden ticket.
This golden ticket allows him and two guardians into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory for a tour. Charlie and Grandpa Joe set off into the wild unknowns. (Aside: anyone else annoyed that bedridden Gpa Joe can walk once there's chocolate involved? I'm calling foul. The muscular atrophy alone...) Charlie is joined by four spoiled brats (who are slowly offed along the journey) and their terrible parents (only some of which are offed during the adventure).
Most macabre-ly, the Oompa-Loompas sing a song at the demist of each child. For example, gum chewer extraordinaire (Violet Beauregarde) tries a test gum (despite Willy Wonka's discouragements) and is subsequently turned into a blueberry.
Her Oompa-Loompa song include a set of stanzas regarding how one gum-chewing woman starting chewing in her sleep, accidentally chewed her tongue off and lives in an asylum - it gets pretty dark, pretty fast. I really wonder what Dahl had against gum...
My favorite part was the actual tour and reading about all the crazy thing that Wonka had hidden in his factory. For example, when Charlie and the gang running after Willy Wonka, he is able to read the labels on some of the doors they pass: EATABLE MARSHMALLOW PILLOWS
LICKABLE WALLPAPER FOR NURSERIES
HOT ICE CREAMS FOR COLD DAYS
COWS THAT GIVE CHOCOLATE MILK
FIZZY LIFTING DRINKS
SQUARE SWEETS THAT LOOK ROUND I don't even care what happened to the other four kids - Sign. Me. Up
The 2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge - A book mentioned in another book
Audiobook Comments
As with Roald Dahl's other audiobooks, this was a full production. The sound effects just made this book go from a 4.5 to a 5. Seriously!
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5 out of 5

Henry Avila–Apr 26, 2018

Somewhere in the cold climate of the northern United States, lived a poor little boy....constant hunger dominates his existence , freezing winds in the winter, flakes of snow falling down on his parent's shamble of a structure, the home they live in, on the outskirts of a large city, with his hard- pressed father and mother , four grandparents in a bed the ancients never leave , their small residence ready to collapse , cannot keep the weather out, Charlie dreams...food to eat not cabbage soup t Somewhere in the cold climate of the northern United States, lived a poor little boy....constant hunger dominates his existence , freezing winds in the winter, flakes of snow falling down on his parent's shamble of a structure, the home they live in, on the outskirts of a large city, with his hard- pressed father and mother , four grandparents in a bed the ancients never leave , their small residence ready to collapse , cannot keep the weather out, Charlie dreams...food to eat not cabbage soup the only thing they can afford, the endless, bleak atmosphere; his shrinking body gets weaker and life is just one big pain... However a flicker of hope for the child Charlie Bucket, the chocolate factory he passes twice a day going to school and coming back home, owned by the most successful candy maker in the world , marvelous Willy Wonka, is having a contest for children. Five Golden Tickets wrapped in his scrumptious chocolate bars will get them a tour of the fabulous building , secrets inside never revealed to the public and a lifetime supply. Chocolates ... delicious , tasty , mouthwatering flavor, finger licking , the smell alone causes the imagination to flow , a heavenly treat...that will forever be, just stretch your hand and grab another ...Ten cents, where can he get that to buy the candy, but his birthday is soon and the family every year gives him this for a present, they have saved a few coins. Silly idea, all the millions of rich kids on the planet buying and buying tremendous amounts of chocolate bars and he...has no chance to win, once in a blue moon, the saying goes . Still somebody does and miracles happen to the unlikely, sometimes. .. As he is walking home in the low temperatures from school. His stomach empty, his body shivering and the wonderful aroma permeating from Willy Wonka's factory, the dejected boy sees something sticking out of the snow. A dollar bill...he picks it up , goes to the nearest store...and no luck, thinks maybe he will try again...happiness underneath the candy bar...a Golden Ticket. Later Charlie's adventures with his Grandfather Joe, so thrilled he rises from his bed after so many years, and does a dance when his grandson wins... Inside the strange Mr. Wonka's unbelievable , humongous building, mostly hidden underground. The secrets amaze little Charlie, the four others, all spoiled children, too, with their permissive , timid parents...
Remarkable new candies, "almost ready " for the public, a chocolate river, the splendid boat on it, a glass elevator not going just up and down but sideways also, numerous rooms with closed, locked doors...
Mysterious noises heard from inside, what's happening ? The greatest discovery though are the Oompa-Loompas, tiny, intelligent people, the diligent workers here, who love to sing delightful songs just made- up, as they toil and stroll, making fun of the weird, stunned visitors. Only technicolor could adequately show the beauty of this gloriously enchanted place...

4 out of 5

James–Jan 07, 2012

One of the first books I ever read. I wanted to watch the movie, but wasn't allowed to until I read the book. And so I did. And now, every few years, I want to again. It's been a long time. But who doesn't love chocolate and dreams and wishes and gifts? I think I may read this series... only looked at the first one.

4 out of 5

Justin–Apr 09, 2017

I'm sitting here on the couch watching Violet turn violet and fill up with juice before being sent off to the de-juicing room. The sun is going down, and it's almost bedtime out here, at least for the kids. My night is just beginning. I've been halfway following along with the movie and thinking about how awesome it was to be a kid- to dream of chocolate factories and eating a lifetime supply of chocolate with no fear of diabetes or a heart attack.
This was the first book I read all the way thro I'm sitting here on the couch watching Violet turn violet and fill up with juice before being sent off to the de-juicing room. The sun is going down, and it's almost bedtime out here, at least for the kids. My night is just beginning. I've been halfway following along with the movie and thinking about how awesome it was to be a kid- to dream of chocolate factories and eating a lifetime supply of chocolate with no fear of diabetes or a heart attack.
This was the first book I read all the way through with the kids, and then we were immediately back at the library to pick up the sequel, which I never read as a kid. It has a really weird beginning. Not quite the same as this one. But I'm having the time of my life reading classic children's book out loud and feeling young again.
My oldest son is 7 and he's on he fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He's flying through them! He now takes a book to school, in the car on short rides, to bed at night, and anywhere else he can. Hashtag parenting win. I hope he sticks with it.
Mike Teevee just got blasted into a million pieces and showed up on television. What a wild trip that was, he says. Almost time for Charlie to.... spoiler alert... we'll, you know what happens next. You should know. Everyone knows. Gene Wilder is awesome.
I thought I read a lot of Roald Dahl as a kid, but there are a lot of books I missed apparently. I did star as the father of James in my high school's production of James and the Giant Peach. I had one line, I think. I just said "Oh no! A rhino!" I'm pretty sure that was it, and then I died. Trampled by a rhinoceros.
You get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!

4 out of 5

Jason Koivu–Nov 23, 2008

I was ten years old and already the magic was gone from the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, leprechauns, Santa Claus and his buddy the Krampus. All was stripped of its power to enthrall. Heck, even sex had been demystified years prior.
Then along came Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It gloried in candy, my number one passion of the day. But not only that, eating candy was the means to getting even MORE candy!
Ah, the golden ticket. How, oh, how I longed for it to be a real thing! I would've tr I was ten years old and already the magic was gone from the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, leprechauns, Santa Claus and his buddy the Krampus. All was stripped of its power to enthrall. Heck, even sex had been demystified years prior.
Then along came Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It gloried in candy, my number one passion of the day. But not only that, eating candy was the means to getting even MORE candy!
Ah, the golden ticket. How, oh, how I longed for it to be a real thing! I would've traded in a half dozen Christmasses for that.
For those few who haven't read the book or seen one of the movies, finding a golden ticket in a candy bar meant you got to visit Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory, which had been closed to the public and rumored to be run by a madman.
Once poor-and-ever-so-grateful Charlie makes it inside the factory everything comes alive! The amazing sights, sounds, smells and tastes! The sky's the limit (quite literally we discover in the second book). Wonka's childlike imagination seems to know no bounds!
But then things turn a bit queer. One by one, the children invited into the factory start dropping off and in the most interesting of ways. This is a fight to the finish and it becomes clear that there can be only one!
I don't know what was better, the candy or the killing off of brats. Ah but to be serious, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory brought back the wonder and excitement of my earliest memories. Thank you Roald Dahl for giving me back magic, the sweetest gift of all.

5 out of 5

Whitney Atkinson–Jan 07, 2018

The movie always fascinated me--both as a kid and adult--so I was really eager to jump into this and see if I could figure it out. But dude, i'm still stumped. I'm not sure if Willy Wonka is supposed to be mad, a genius, or a mad genius. There's just so many priceless lines of dialogue that the movies also captured so well, and this book is so whimsical and wholesome, yet dark with sort of a fable-esque message about greed and whatnot from the Oompa-Loompa's songs/poems.
I took a star off becaus The movie always fascinated me--both as a kid and adult--so I was really eager to jump into this and see if I could figure it out. But dude, i'm still stumped. I'm not sure if Willy Wonka is supposed to be mad, a genius, or a mad genius. There's just so many priceless lines of dialogue that the movies also captured so well, and this book is so whimsical and wholesome, yet dark with sort of a fable-esque message about greed and whatnot from the Oompa-Loompa's songs/poems.
I took a star off because of shaky footing with the portrayal of certain features in this book, such as recurring fatphobia (also present in his other books), and the weird savior portrayal of Wonka in relation to his using Oompa-Loompas basically as slave labor in exchange for food and not much else. Maybe i'm reading too far into it, but it seems like a very unethical capitalistic scheme and instead of seeing Oompa-Loompas as people eager to make some chocolate, they seemed rather treated as inferior. (This is definitely not something 10-year old me picked up on as a child, but I can't unsee it, nonetheless)

5 out of 5

Matt–Nov 24, 2016

Before there were amorous zombies, sleuthing twelve year-olds, or even a teacher who traipsed around in his underwear, children turned to Roald Dahl for their literary entertainment. I thought it the perfect time to zip through time and relive one of my childhood favourites, in hopes that I might soon introduce my son to the wonders of Willy Wonka and his glorious factory. Dahl opens by presenting the reader with Charlie Bucket and his family, confined to a small cottage on the outskirts of town Before there were amorous zombies, sleuthing twelve year-olds, or even a teacher who traipsed around in his underwear, children turned to Roald Dahl for their literary entertainment. I thought it the perfect time to zip through time and relive one of my childhood favourites, in hopes that I might soon introduce my son to the wonders of Willy Wonka and his glorious factory. Dahl opens by presenting the reader with Charlie Bucket and his family, confined to a small cottage on the outskirts of town and as poor as can be. Charlie's one true love is to receive a bar of Wonka's chocolate on his birthday, which he savours for a month. When news comes that the famous Willy Wonka will open his factory up for five children to tour, the world goes mad. Five golden tickets have been placed in random bars of chocolate, leaving everyone to buy and tear through the wrapping in hopes of finding that glistening entry pass. One by one, tickets emerge when children purchase bars upon bars: first Augustus Gloop, then Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Mike Teavee. Much press coverage is made of these four, though there remains a single ticket left out there, waiting for a pair of grubby hands to grip it by the corner. On a gamble, Charlie uses a coin his discovers and purchases a bar of chocolate that does, miraculously, hold the final ticket. After choosing to attend the factory with his Grandpa Joe, they set off. Arriving at Wonka's delectable abode, all the children and their chaperones enter and begin learning of the wonders of chocolate making, from the rivers of chocolate to the rooms filled with nut-cracking squirrels, through to experimental chewing gums that will replace the need for meals. All this is overseen by a collection of small people, the Oompa Loompas, whose poetic verses are as exciting as their appearance. One by one, the children flock to something they cannot do without, slowing falling prey to the machinations of the tubes, trapdoors, temptations, and televisions within the factory, leaving Charlie and Grandpa Joe alone as the tour comes to a close. Wonka's revelation of this fact leads him to make an offer to Charlie that is more than any child might dream and turns the future of Wonka's factory on its head. Surely, Dahl will expound on that in the sequel, on which I will firmly place my hands like a gluttonous child looking for a golden ticket. Oh, to be a child again!
I will never forget growing up with Roald Dahl's books around me. Many of his stories are household classics for me, as is the 1971 movie of this book, where Gene Wilder brought Willy Wonka to life. As an adult, I can see some of the themes that Dahl seeks to instil in his readers, about fate, greed, gluttony, and patience. Told in such a fabulous manner as to entertain rather than inculcate, Dahl does not go for the pizzazz and hoopla of some drivel authors use now to lure readers into their novels. I am quite sure everyone wonders about an Oompa Loompa on occasion, which is enough to make me want to return to these books on a regular basis. One cannot criticize Dahl's work without upsetting a generation or two of readers, in its simplicity and complex themes offered up simultaneously. I would venture to say, the reader and listener (adult and child, alike) will take something from this book and find magic in the formulation. Brilliant in its crafting and heart-warming in the delivery.
Kudos, Mr. Dahl for touching so many lives with your creativity and awesomeness.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

"And now," said Willy Wonka, "we're going to see something extra special... my Metaphorical Candy Room!" He flung open the doors, and the five children peeked inside. Augustus Gloop beamed with delight.
"That's the BIGGEST BOWL OF SKITTLES I'VE EVER SEEN!" he yelled.
"Indeed it is, indeed it is," said Willy Wonka proudly. "Three point three million of them! One for every Muslim in the United States! But, before you eat any, I must warn you... some of them are POISONED!"
"How many?" asked Violet Bea
"And now," said Willy Wonka, "we're going to see something extra special... my Metaphorical Candy Room!" He flung open the doors, and the five children peeked inside. Augustus Gloop beamed with delight.
"That's the BIGGEST BOWL OF SKITTLES I'VE EVER SEEN!" he yelled.
"Indeed it is, indeed it is," said Willy Wonka proudly. "Three point three million of them! One for every Muslim in the United States! But, before you eat any, I must warn you... some of them are POISONED!"
"How many?" asked Violet Beauregarde.
"Only three," said Willy Wonka. "But you wouldn't want to take chances, would you?"
Augustus, who had been on the point of helping himself to some skittles, pulled his hand back.
"What's that over there?" asked Charlie. The children turned round. Behind them was an even bigger bowl of candy!
"Ah, those are my Deplorable Mints," said Willy Wonka. "One for every racist, bigot, white supremacist and neo-Nazi in the country! Don't they look delicious!"
They certainly did. Augustus reached out his hand again.
"Unfortunately," said Willy Wonka, "I have to admit that some of THEM are poisoned too. Very few of course. But we can't be too careful, can we?"
"So we aren't getting any candy?" asked Augustus. He looked terribly disappointed.
"Not until you understand p-values," said Willy Wonka. "Hurry up! We'll be late for the Statistical Sweets!"

4 out of 5

Jeanette "Astute Crabbist"–Feb 28, 2008

If you ever want to cheer yourself up, go back and read a book you loved and read over and over as a child. For me, this is one book that will always be better than any movie they make from it. Nothing Hollywood does with special effects will ever be as magical as what Roald Dahl did with just plain old words.
It has been MANY long years since I last looked at this book, but it all came back to me as soon as I turned to the first page and saw the illustrations. I was immediately carried away by If you ever want to cheer yourself up, go back and read a book you loved and read over and over as a child. For me, this is one book that will always be better than any movie they make from it. Nothing Hollywood does with special effects will ever be as magical as what Roald Dahl did with just plain old words.
It has been MANY long years since I last looked at this book, but it all came back to me as soon as I turned to the first page and saw the illustrations. I was immediately carried away by the story. Even though I already knew how everything would turn out, I found myself rooting for Charlie Bucket to find one of the five Golden Tickets. And yes, I watched gleefully as the naughty kids paid for their bad behavior.
I love the chants the Oompa-Loompas do after each bad kid gets his or her comeuppance. These guys are the original rappers! My mind was showing me hundreds of itty-bitty Oompa-Loompas in the background doing wild synchronized hip-hop moves while chanting to a rapper rhythm:
"Augustus Gloop! Augustus Gloop!
The great big greedy nincompoop!
How long could we allow this beast
To gorge and guzzle, feed and feast
On everything he wanted to?
Great Scott! It simply wouldn't do!"
I've always loved to play with our English words that have more than one meaning, so passages like the one below tickle me pink (or pickle me tink, if you are The BFG):
They streaked past a black door. STOREROOM NUMBER 71, it said on it. WHIPS--ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.
"Whips!" cried Veruca Salt. "What on earth do you use whips for?"
"For whipping cream, of course," said Mr. Wonka. "How can you whip cream without whips? Whipped cream isn't whipped cream at all unless it's been whipped with whips. Just as a poached egg isn't a poached egg unless it's been stolen from the woods in the dead of night!"
There's a sinister undercurrent in the book that I missed completely when I was a kid. I can just see Mr. Dahl chortling to himself when he wrote some of this stuff. Heh heh, that little bit about the whips oughta give the grownups a little hitch in their ho-hum.
But everything comes out happy in the end. Even the naughty kids still get their lifetime supply of Willy Wonka's DELICIOUS EATABLES. Not to mention a nasty case of diabetes after a few years of indulgence.

4 out of 5

Manny–Apr 21, 2011

Since the Swiss make the best chocolate figures in the world, I thought I would pick up a few to take with me to England. I was originally only intending to buy a couple of chocolate rabbits, engagingly goofy-looking with big buck teeth and natty bow-ties, but the selection was so enticing that I eventually walked out with four rabbits, a chicken with a marzipan waistcoat and a chocolate chalet. I explained to the nice assistant that they would be accompanying me to London later that day, and sh Since the Swiss make the best chocolate figures in the world, I thought I would pick up a few to take with me to England. I was originally only intending to buy a couple of chocolate rabbits, engagingly goofy-looking with big buck teeth and natty bow-ties, but the selection was so enticing that I eventually walked out with four rabbits, a chicken with a marzipan waistcoat and a chocolate chalet. I explained to the nice assistant that they would be accompanying me to London later that day, and she spent ages wrapping them up in individual boxes.
But, when we opened them yesterday, catastrophe! She evidently hadn't used enough tissue paper. Not a single figure was whole: two rabbits had lost their ears and two their heads, the chicken's wings were broken, and the roof had come off the chalet. It seemed like a very poor return on 116 Swiss Francs. On closer examination, though, the breaks looked fairly clean. We wondered if surgery was possible.
David and I went to the shop around the corner, bought a substantial bar of Cadbury's milk chocolate, and melted it carefully in a double-boiler. Our first plan was to use the chocolate as glue - we have a lot of experience with building gingerbread houses. But it turns out that melted chocolate makes very poor glue; it isn't sticky enough. The operation was also complicated by the fact that it was impossible to hold the pieces directly, since they immediately started melting in our hands (it was a hot day). We decided that we had to hold them using kitchen roll, which was anything but convenient. Things looked hopeless for a moment.
And then, breakthrough! Maybe it was a good thing that the chocolate melted so easily, and we could exploit that? We'd already determined that gluing didn't work. How about welding? And, with some care, it turned out that it was possible. The new technique consisted of dipping the edge of the piece in the melted chocolate to soften it and then pushing it into place so that it fused, making a solid join, and we successfully used it to mend all six figures. The first two looked a little messy, but the final ones were so good that you actually couldn't tell they'd been broken. It was almost beyond belief.
Please, Mr. Wonka, can I come and work for you? As you see, I'm really into chocolate technology.

5 out of 5

Leonard Gaya–Nov 27, 2017

Having just finished a book on Hieronymus Bosch, I couldn’t help thinking about the painter's hellish pictures when reading this children’s book. The tale starts with little Charlie, living in utter misery in something like a hermit’s hut, with four elderly people laying all day in the same bed… A blend of St. Anthony and Death and the Miser. This is quite dreadful in itself, but hold on, it’s just an aperitif.
Next, little Charlie and a bunch of other children win a devilish marketing sweepstake Having just finished a book on Hieronymus Bosch, I couldn’t help thinking about the painter's hellish pictures when reading this children’s book. The tale starts with little Charlie, living in utter misery in something like a hermit’s hut, with four elderly people laying all day in the same bed… A blend of St. Anthony and Death and the Miser. This is quite dreadful in itself, but hold on, it’s just an aperitif.
Next, little Charlie and a bunch of other children win a devilish marketing sweepstake and are invited to visit Mr Wonka’s super-secret-chocolate-factory (picture, if you will, winning a ticket to visit the design vaults of Apple’s new “spaceship” campus). A ticket to paradise, you’d figure, since everything in there is just a “garden of earthly delights”, where such marvels grow as chocolate bars and sweets, caramel eclairs, ice-cream, vanilla fudge delights, bubblegums, double-decker cakes, warming candies, toffee rolls, mint balls and a rivers of hot cocoa… “everything in this room is eatable”. We’d just need an edible Katy Perry in her fluffy bikinis to put a finishing touch on this heavenly vision.
But I suppose none of these poor kids has heard of Hansel and Gretel or of the dangers of nibbling on the hag’s gingerbread shack. Truth be told, since this is apparently a morality tale, except for Charlie perhaps, all the other kids are insufferable sinful brats. And just as in the Seven Deadly Sins, each of the children epitomises gluttony (Augustus), greed (Veruca), pride (Violet), sloth (Mike), and decidedly deserves eternal shame and damnation. In the end, underneath the comical and sweet fourth-graders’ novel, there is an undercurrent of cautionary, grotesque, even creepy imagery. The happy ending is a bit far-fetched.
Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation is quite respectful of Roald Dahl’s story (Deep Roy’s performance as the Oompa-Loompas is priceless). In comparison, the 1971 movie is second-rate.

5 out of 5

Duane–Nov 02, 2016

If you don't already know that Charlie inherits Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, then this review contains a spoiler.
"The meek shall inherit the earth". That biblical phrase certainly applies to this story. Charlie Bucket is the epitome of meek. But he is also serious, polite, kind, and...well, he is just the perfect kid. In this story he doesn't inherit the earth but he does inherit Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Ah! What a chocolate factory. The inside kind of reminded me of the Land of Oz. If you don't already know that Charlie inherits Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, then this review contains a spoiler.
"The meek shall inherit the earth". That biblical phrase certainly applies to this story. Charlie Bucket is the epitome of meek. But he is also serious, polite, kind, and...well, he is just the perfect kid. In this story he doesn't inherit the earth but he does inherit Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Ah! What a chocolate factory. The inside kind of reminded me of the Land of Oz. Being in the business myself, I've toured a few candy factories in my day. Believe me, none of them are even close to Willy Wonka's.
I've only read two Dahl books, Matilda and now this one. I've also seen the movies. I like this book better than either of the Willy Wonka movies. I give it 4.5 stars.

When I read this book as a child I was so immersed in the story my imagination was broadened. How exciting to find a golden ticket and gain access as a VIP in Willy Wanka's mysterious chocolate factory. Brilliant. The original film with Gene Wilder is a classic. In my opinion far better than the remake with Johnny Depp. I like Johnny Depp he is an amazing actor but Gene Wilder was Willy Wanka in my book. I often wonder about the names of these characters. Did Roald Dahl have a twinkle in his eye When I read this book as a child I was so immersed in the story my imagination was broadened. How exciting to find a golden ticket and gain access as a VIP in Willy Wanka's mysterious chocolate factory. Brilliant. The original film with Gene Wilder is a classic. In my opinion far better than the remake with Johnny Depp. I like Johnny Depp he is an amazing actor but Gene Wilder was Willy Wanka in my book. I often wonder about the names of these characters. Did Roald Dahl have a twinkle in his eye when he named him Willy Wanka? Over here in the UK it sounds like the word Wanker which, really means a long Walker. To have a wank is to go for a long walk. However we all know what a Wanker is in colloquial terms...and his name is Willy! Lol! Did Dahl have a smirk when he created him? Over here in the UK we had a cartoon that used to be on in the afternoon called Captain Pugwash. I used to watch it when I came home from school, it was great. Some of the characters names were 'master bates'. And 'seaman stains'. The show ran for years before the dark suits cottoned on to the hidden pun. So funny that hundreds of thousands of children were laughing about it at school, the show inevitability got cancelled. Also the cartoon Magic Roundabout. Dylan was always stoned and played the banjo. Lol! Dougal who was addicted to sugar cubes; LSD springs to mind; and he used to run around in circles. Ermintrude if I remember was a cow that flew. It was hilarious and as children we lapped it up. The creaters were university graduates and they basically took the piss out of the powers that be. Anyhow Roald Dahl books are fantastic and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is up there with his best. The original film is well worth the watch too.

5 out of 5

Ariel–Feb 03, 2014

THIS WAS GREAT! I've never read any Roald Dahl before, but of course I've heard of the legend and so when I was assigned to read this for my Children's Lit class I was super pumped. And best of all, I enjoyed it! There's always the fear that books won't live up to the hype, but I think this did.
I loved Charlie and his Grandpa as the main protagonists: they were humble, and sweet, and smart. I loved Willy Wonka: he was energetic and excited and brilliant and sarcastic as all hell. And I loved how THIS WAS GREAT! I've never read any Roald Dahl before, but of course I've heard of the legend and so when I was assigned to read this for my Children's Lit class I was super pumped. And best of all, I enjoyed it! There's always the fear that books won't live up to the hype, but I think this did.
I loved Charlie and his Grandpa as the main protagonists: they were humble, and sweet, and smart. I loved Willy Wonka: he was energetic and excited and brilliant and sarcastic as all hell. And I loved how the positive characters really hated the negative characters! I like that the bad kids all got in trouble, and that the oompa loompas sang songs full of awesome morals.
I saw the original movie when I was really young so I don't remember it and I haven't seen the newer Johnny Depp movie, but I plan on watching both of them soon and I'll come back here and let you know what I think of them! :D

4 out of 5

midnightfaerie–Feb 07, 2012

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is an obvious classic in my book. Besides the fact its been around for awhile already, it definitely has that magic factor that pulls you in. Anyone with even a remnant left of their kid's heart in them, will love this book. I believe this story, not the book, but at least the story has a huge following, due in part to the movie starring Gene Wilder. I love Johnny Depp, but he lacks the whimsical weirdness of the previous Wonka and is just weird. H Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is an obvious classic in my book. Besides the fact its been around for awhile already, it definitely has that magic factor that pulls you in. Anyone with even a remnant left of their kid's heart in them, will love this book. I believe this story, not the book, but at least the story has a huge following, due in part to the movie starring Gene Wilder. I love Johnny Depp, but he lacks the whimsical weirdness of the previous Wonka and is just weird. However, the Depp version is a little more book accurate, but not by much. Once again I'm amazed at how much liberty the writers took with the book, and wonder why? No Slugworth, except a brief mention, and Charlie wins at the end only because he's the last kid standing. Some extra rooms and candy are in the book that were never mentioned in the movie like the "Square candy that looks round". And it's a shame, but I understand that they can't put everything into the movies. I'm not sure if the everything's edible scenery is an original concept or not, but it is surely the most well known of children's stories. I was also impressed with the similarity between the book and movie on the poem in the boat, which is probably the most celebrated part of the story.
I must also mention here the book is absolutely worth reading even if you've seen the movie mostly because I think the movie glossed over the main theme of the book. Obviously there's the imagination aspect but in the book, the Oompa Loompa's sing a song that is three pages long when little Mike Teavee gets sucked into the TV. It's all about how TV will rot your brain and if you take away the blasted contraption, and replace it with books, within a few weeks, the child will be reading and loving the books. I whole heartedly agree, and find the "irony" funny that a book about getting kids to read more was made into a movie that is better known than the book. I put irony in quotes here, because lately a vast majority of literary figures have debated the incorrect use of the word, ever since Alanis Morisette's song came out. I think it applies here, but I could be wrong.
In any case, the book is a classic, and highly recommended. I also recommend the Wilder version of the movie, but not in place of the book. I also think this is a great story to read to children, as my 5 yr old can attest.
ClassicsDefined.com

This book was quite disturbing. I mean Augustus Gloop, who apparently had a nasty cold, completely contaminated the entire chocolate river, and then Wonka scoops out cup-fulls for Charlie and Grandpa Joe to drink, and they do. Nasty! You just know that Augustus peed himself from fear when he fell in, too!
I really enjoyed this, with the exception of the insanely long Oompa-Loompa songs. I just don't like reading verse, no matter how clever it is, so I skimmed these sections. Sometimes pages of t This book was quite disturbing. I mean Augustus Gloop, who apparently had a nasty cold, completely contaminated the entire chocolate river, and then Wonka scoops out cup-fulls for Charlie and Grandpa Joe to drink, and they do. Nasty! You just know that Augustus peed himself from fear when he fell in, too!
I really enjoyed this, with the exception of the insanely long Oompa-Loompa songs. I just don't like reading verse, no matter how clever it is, so I skimmed these sections. Sometimes pages of them. :/
Otherwise, I liked it a lot, though I actually expected it to be darker than it was. This is my first time reading Dahl, despite owning a handful of his books, and I'd always heard that he wrote darker stuff for kids, which is awesome. I loved the adult humor. It allows people of all ages to m enjoy the book. Especially the puns. Square candy that looks round indeed! Cute. :)

4 out of 5

Ray–Jun 22, 2017

The latest in my recent teaching of Dahl books...
Yes I get that it's a beloved children's novel, and the whole weird Roald Dahl thing. And much has already been said of the problematic Oompah-Loompah problematic African pygmies thing (really it's much more offensive in the books about them being shipped in crates from their land, unlike the film adaptations where they're just unexplained magical creatures).
But what really bothered me is the lesson that the way to get out of poverty is to win th The latest in my recent teaching of Dahl books...
Yes I get that it's a beloved children's novel, and the whole weird Roald Dahl thing. And much has already been said of the problematic Oompah-Loompah problematic African pygmies thing (really it's much more offensive in the books about them being shipped in crates from their land, unlike the film adaptations where they're just unexplained magical creatures).
But what really bothered me is the lesson that the way to get out of poverty is to win the lottery. It's not even just that Charlie's family is poor, they are outright starving before he wins the golden ticket. I know I know, it wouldn't be a whimsical story to get into government social programs and capitalistic exploitation. But the subtext really is there: Get out of poverty by winning the lottery.
A funny book for kids of course, but even for a children's novel don't analyze it too much!
Admittedly, maybe I'm overthinking this

I can't decide what to rate this!!! It seems odd rating it, because even though I didn't read it as a child I still know the story so well since the movies (well, the first one) is adapted so nicely. It's a great story. Really dark, actually, darker when you read it, but it still feels weird rating a story I already know so well. It didn't feel new, just nice and comforting because it was familiar.
I had this as 3 stars when I was writing but now I'm changing to 4, I don't know why, they aren't I can't decide what to rate this!!! It seems odd rating it, because even though I didn't read it as a child I still know the story so well since the movies (well, the first one) is adapted so nicely. It's a great story. Really dark, actually, darker when you read it, but it still feels weird rating a story I already know so well. It didn't feel new, just nice and comforting because it was familiar.
I had this as 3 stars when I was writing but now I'm changing to 4, I don't know why, they aren't that important, but it feels better.

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